2022 Nissan Frontier - Driven

2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X – Exterior

The new Nissan Frontier is poles apart from the model it replaces. The front fascia is sharp, different, and doesn’t look like the second-gen Frontier at all. We laid our hands on the off-road-spec trim called the PRO-4X. Nissan has been offering this on the Frontier for some time now. This year, the automaker even launched a PRO-X trim, that’s a two-wheel-drive version of the PRO-4X.

Up front, the truck comes with a sharp, edgy face. You don’t get the signature V-motion grille here that you see on the other Nissan cars. Instead, you get a black grille with honeycomb mesh detailing and a black outlined logo in this off-road trim. There are over-fender flares here to give it a rough-and-tough vibe. The PRO-4X model comes with 17-inch Painted Pro wheels as standard. They come shod in 265/70 section all-terrain tires. Beadlock style alloy wheels are offered as optional, and our Frontier came with them.

There’s an aluminum skid plate at the front and three underbody skid plates. Of course, you get LED headlights, taillights, and foglights. The truck also comes with specific decals on the body. Our example came equipped with all the three packages that are on offer and they add a lot of accessories. (More on this in the ‘Packages’ section at the bottom. The new Frontier is offered in nine exterior shades:

• Red Alert
• Deep Blue Pearl (Our test example)
• Super Black
• Boulder Gray Pearl
• Gun Metallic
• Glacier White
• Cardinal Red TriCoat ($395)
• Tactical Green Metallic ($395)
• Baja Storm Pearl ($395)

How Big Is The 2022 Frontier PRO-4X?

The Nissan Frontier measures 210.2 inches in length, 74.7 inches in width, and 72.9 inches in height. Its chief rivals, the Toyota Tacoma and the Ford Ranger, also measure pretty much the same. The Tacoma is 212.3 inches long, 75.2 inches wide, and 70.6 inches tall, whereas the Ranger is 210.8 inches long, 73.3 inches wide, and 71.8 inches tall.

Since the Frontier is the least longest of the lot, the same is reflected in the wheelbase as well. The Japanese truck has a 126-inch long wheelbase, which is 0.8 inches shorter than the Ranger’s and 1.4 inches shorter than the Tacoma’s.

The front and rear tracks are 61.8 inches wide each on the Frontier, and 63.2- and 60.5 inches wide on the Tacoma. The Frontier’s off-road version boasts of the best approach angle and the worst departure angle. The approach angle is 32.3 degrees, which is better than the Tacoma’s 32- and Ranger’s 30.9-degree angles. The departure angle, on the other hand, is 23 degrees, which is bettered by the Tacoma’s 23.5- and the Ranger’s 25.5-degree angle.

How Much Does 2022 Frontier PRO-4X Weigh?

When compared to its rivals, the Frontier PRO-4X is the heaviest. It weighs 4,708 pounds, which makes it heavier than the 4,660-pound Ranger Tremor and the 4,445-pound Tacoma TRD Off-Road.

How Much Can The 2022 Frontier PRO-4X Tow and Haul?

The Frontier can tow up to 6,270 pounds, which isn’t the best of the lot. The Tacoma can tow up to 6,400 pounds, whereas the Ranger has a maximum towing capacity of 7,500 pounds. The maximum payload capacity is rated at 1,230 pounds for the Frontier, 1,155 pounds for the Tacoma, and 1,430 pounds for the Ranger.

2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X – Interior

The cabin is offered with two different upholstery options. You get the charcoal cloth with lava red stitching as standard. You can opt for Charcoal leather upholstery as well, but you will have to take three packages with it – PRO-4X Convenience Package, PRO Premium Package, and Technology Package. These three packages will make you lighter by $5,770. Since our example had all three packages, we had the leather seats installed here.

The truck comes with a four-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel. There are quite a lot of buttons on it, and with the gloss black surrounds, it looks rather cluttered. The instrument cluster is an analog-digital setup with a seven-inch screen in the middle that displays the drive-related data. Nothing to write home about. On the center console, you get a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The other features here include:

• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Six-speaker audio system
• Six-way power-adjustable driver seat
• Four-way manual adjustable passenger seat
• Push-button start

How Spacious Is The 2022 Frontier PRO-4X?

At the front, the Frontier is just as spacious as its rivals. It offers 39.9 inches of headroom, 58.2 inches of shoulder room, 54.3 inches of hip room, and 42.3 inches of legroom. The Tacoma comes with 39.7 inches of headroom, 58.3 inches of shoulder room, 57.2 inches of hip room, and 42.9 inches of legroom. The Ranger offers headroom of 39.8 inches, shoulder room of 56.7 inches, hip room of 55.8 inches, and legroom of 43.1 inches.

At the rear, things are in line with the competition on all lines except for the legroom. The truck offers 38.6 inches of headroom, 58.7 inches of shoulder room, 53.7 inches of hip room, and just 33.2 inches of legroom. In the Tacoma, you get 38.3 inches of headroom, 58.9 inches of shoulder room, 57.2 inches of hip room, and 42.9 inches of legroom. In the Ford Ranger, you have 38.3 inches of headroom, 56.3 inches of shoulder room, 53.5 inches of hip room, and 43.1 inches of legroom available at your disposal.

2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X – Drivetrain

The last big update under the skin saw Nissan ditch the 2.5-liter, four-cylinder and the 4.0-liter V-6 mills for good.

In its place came an all-new 3.8-liter, V-6 mill. The engine produces 310 horses and 281 pound-feet of torque.

As expected, the same has been retained this time around as well without any changes.

The engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Since this is the PRO-4X model, it comes with a four-wheel-drive system. The truck also features a two-speed transfer case with 4HI and 4LO. As for the off-road equipment, Nissan has equipped it with:

• Bilstein Off-Road High-Pressure Shock Absorbers
• Electronic Rear Differential Locker
• Rear Suspension Stabilizer

The outgoing PRO-4X model came with Dana 44 Rear Axle, but there’s no word about it this time.

How Much Fuel Economy Does The 2022 Frontier PRO-4X Offer?

The Frontier delivers 17 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg combined. This is better than both its competitors. The Tacoma returns 17 mpg in the city, 20 mpg on the highway, and 18 mpg combined. The Ranger delivers 19 miles for every gallon of fuel consumed in all three aspects.

How Much Does The 2022 Nissan Frontier Cost?

• S King Cab 4x2 – $28,140
• S Crew Cab 4x2 – 29,440
• SV King Cab 4x2 - $30,840
• S King Cab 4x4 - $31,340
• SV Crew Cab 4x2 - $32,240
• S Crew Cab 4x4 - $32,440
• SV King Cab 4x4 - $34,040
• SV Crew Cab Long Bed 4x2 - $34,140
• PRO-X Crew Cab 4x2 - $34,370
• SV Crew Cab 4x4 - $35,240
• SV Crew Cab Long Bed 4x4 - $37,140
• PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4 - $37,370

With all the accessories, packages, and a destination fee of $1,175, the example you see in images in this review comes up to $46,570.

2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X – Competition

Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road

The Frontier PRO-4X takes on the Tacoma TRD Off-Road. The truck is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 278 ponies and 265 pound-feet of torque. It can be mated to either a six-speed automatic or a six-speed manual gearbox. Also, you can either pair it with a two-wheel-drive system or a four-wheel-drive.

The truck rides on 16-inch machined contrast wheels. You get a locking rear differential, Bilstein shocks, Multi-Terrain Select with Crawl Control, etc. Toyota has even provided some other features like Hill Start Assist and Multi-Terrain Monitor that will help you while off-roading. Apart from this, you get an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto.

The 2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road starts at $34,690.

Ford Ranger Tremor

Unlike the Nissan Frontier and the Toyota Tacoma that have dedicated off-road trims, Ford has got off-road packages for the Ranger. One is the FX4 Off-road package, and the other is the Tremor package. It can be had only on the XLT and the Lariat models with SuperCrew body style, not the base XL trim. The Ranger is offered with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost mill as the only option. This engine churns out 270 horses and 310 pound-feet of torque. With the Tremor package, you get a four-wheel-drive system that is paired with a 10-speed automatic gearbox.

The Tremor package comes with a lot of interesting specs and features. It comes with a suspension lift kit that allows it to accommodate 32-inch Continental General Grabber all-terrain tires shod around 17-inch wheels. It also includes FOX 2.0 monotube dampers with rear piggyback reservoirs. A frame-mounted steel front bash plate and underbody skid plates, rear locking differential, and Terrain Management System are some of the other things you get here.

The Tremor package is priced at $4,290. The Ranger XLT and the Lariat are priced at $29,120 and $33,160. So, this brings the starting price of the Ranger Tremor to $33,410.

2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X – Packages

The Frontier PRO-4X is offered with three packages – Pro Convenience Package, Pro Premium Package, and Technology Package. Our example came equipped with all three of them. Here’s what all they included:

PRO-4X Convenience Package - $1,990

• Spray-in Bedliner
• 120V outlet in bed and rear center console
• Heated wing mirrors
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated front seats
• LED Under Rail Lightning
• Remote engine start
• Trailer hitch with wiring harness
• Intelligent around view monitor with moving object detection and off-road mode
• Wireless charger

Elaborating on the Utili-Channel Track System, it is a cargo management system that comes with four channels running the length of the bed and one running the width. They help secure the cargo. Apart from it, you also get four heavy-duty cleats that can slide along these channels.

Pro Premium Package - $2,790

• 10-speaker Fender premium audio system
• Leather-appointed front and rear seats
• Auto-dimming inside mirror
• Auto-tilt and slide sunroof
• 17-inch beadlock style wheels

Technology Package - $990

• Lane Departure Warning
• Blind Spot Warning
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Rear Sonar System
• Rear Automatic Braking
• High Beam Assist
• Intelligent Cruise Control
• Traffic Sign Recognition

Apart from these packages, there are a lot of other accessories available as well. The Frontier that we tested had some of them:

• Off-road style step rails - $750
• Bed access - $540
• Sport Bar - $1,095

2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X – Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The standard safety and driver assistance features on the Frontier PRO-4X include:

• Antilock Braking System
• Electronic Brake Force Distribution
• Brake Assist
• TPMS
• Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection
• Intelligent Forward Collision Warning
• Airbags